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China has opened the world’s longest sea-crossing bridge linking Hong Kong to the mainland, a feat of engineering carrying immense economic and political significance.

Chinese president Xi Jinping presided over a ceremony in the city of Zhuhai to open the 34 mile-long bridge linking it to the semi-autonomous regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

Digital fireworks exploded on a screen behind him as leaders of the three cities looked on.

The £15 billion bridge took almost a decade to build while incurring major delays and cost overruns.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. Credit: AP

The bridge includes an undersea tunnel allowing ships to pass through the Pearl River delta, the heart of China’s crucial manufacturing sector.

It will cut travel time across the delta from several hours to just 30 minutes, something China hopes will bind the region together as a major driver of future economic growth.

The bridge is the world’s longest cross-sea project, which has a total length of 34 miles Credit: AP

Heavily regulated traffic using permits issued under a quota system will begin flowing on Wednesday.

The bridge forms a physical link between the mainland and Hong Kong, an Asian financial hub which was handed over from British to Chinese control in 1997 with the assurance it would maintain its own legal and economic system for 50 years.

This carries major political significance for Mr Xi’s administration, which has rejected calls for political liberalisation in Hong Kong, sparking fears Beijing will clamp down further on civil liberties before the end of the "one country, two systems" arrangement in 2047.